Dean Graziosi is well known as America's #1 real estate expert, author, speaker and entrepreneur. Based in Scottsdale, AZ, Dean has written Multiple New York Times best-selling books and has touched the lives of Millions of people around the world with his powerful investing education.

Favorite Success Quote

"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm" ~ Winston Churchill

Key Points

1. Failure is an Essential Piece of Success

Many entrepreneurs and other businessmen believe that success is a straight road, you simply get on the path and once you get enough momentum you will succeed.

What they don't understand is that there is no success without failure, as Ryan Holiday says, "The obstacle is the way." Even the most illustrious of companies and entrepreneurs have faced tremendous adversity and "unconquerable"situations before they achieved the renown they know today.

When going into any new endeavor, expect failure, expect to be tested beyond your perceived limits, and expect things to which you devoted your whole life to fail.

Do what you can to prevent failures by reading books by those who have gone before and gathering an army of mentors, but realize that even with all the preparation in the world, you will fail. And when you do, have the courage to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and go again.

2. Use Your Pain as a Motivator

The natural state of human-kind is to move towards pleasure and away from pain. This is the driving force behind every action we take. Therefor, learn to use the pain in your life to motivate you towards success.

Make the pain of inaction or ultimate failure (not temporary setbacks) far greater than the pain of getting off your ass and doing what needs to be done. Overweight? Learn to make the pain of dying young, and being unable to live a full life greater than the pain of going to the gym. Broke? Then make the pain of not having the money to live the life of your dreams greater than the pain of forgoing temporary pleasure.

Pain is one of the most powerful tools in your belt if you learn to harness it properly. Leverage pain to create the life you want.

3. Don't Work on Your Weaknesses

One of the biggest lies of our society is to work on our weaknesses. From grade school we are taught to focus on things we suck at instead of improving things for which we have a natural propensity. If you made an A in math and a C in English, you were told to work harder in English instead of doubling down in the areas which you already excel.

Root out this mentality like a cancer, embrace your strengths and delegate your weaknesses, the only way to build a vibrant business or life is to fill it with people working from areas of excellence and passion. Forget your weaknesses and work on your strengths. You will be healthier, wealthier and wiser for it.

4. Most People Will Not Understand

If you are on this site, you are unique. Most people are not filling their heads with the knowledge and wisdom of the wise and successful and as such, they will try and bring you and your dreams down.They do not understand the world the way you do, they are victims and pessimists.

Do not let small minded underachievers prevent you from achieving the life of your dreams. Go for what you want, go big, build the life of your dreams the business of your dreams, do what you damn well please and don't let broke unhappy people stop you.

5. Protect Your Confidence

Ensure that you guard your confidence in yourself above all else. If you do not believe in yourself and your abilities, you will never accomplish great things. Realize the importance of confidence in all areas of your life and take daily actions that reaffirm your self belief.

6. Remove Energy Vampires

Plain and simple, if you sigh when someone calls or messages you, they need to be cut out of your life. As harsh as this sounds, you cannot afford to waste time and energy on people who do nothing but drain you.

7. What Your Surround Yourself Shapes Your Destiny

Your environment will, in large part, determine your destiny. Surround yourself with inspiring and high caliber individuals, fill your head with knowledge and ideas from the best minds, listen to audio tapes and CDs. No matter where you are in life, by altering your environment, you will alter who you become, get started today creating an environment conducive to excellence.

8. You Have to Actually Do The Work

No amount of positive thinking or visualization will make the life of your dreams fall into your lap, you have to get up and do the work. Period.

9. Go 7 Levels Deep to Find Your Why

One of the most powerful tools for getting the motivation required to succeed is to go 7 levels deep with your "why." Ask yourself what you want, then follow up with "why?", then again and again, 7 times until you are at the very core of what it is that is truly motivating you.

Do this exercise and your eyes will be open to the truth behind every action you take. Do this, and you will be better equipped to crush it in life, love, and business.

10. Trust Your Heart and Not Your Head

Trust your heart above your head. Your heart knows what you truly want and what will truly fulfill you in life, your head only knows what friends, family, and society have told it will fulfill you. Do the hard thing now, condition yourself to trust your heart and you won't go wrong.